


Shoulder the Sceptre.

by TayBartlett9000



Category: British Royalty RPF, Historical RPF, The Crown (TV)
Genre: Britain, British Royal Family - Freeform, Crown, Future, Gen, Hope, King - Freeform, Princess - Freeform, Queen - Freeform, Royalty, Young Elizabeth, young Margaret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 14:45:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18096386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TayBartlett9000/pseuds/TayBartlett9000
Summary: It is May the eleventh 1937. Elizabeth stands on the threshold of becoming Britain's  heir apparent as her father  prepares for his coronation. In light of this realisation, the young Princess Elizabeth reflects. Life is about to change, and it is about  to change drastically.





	Shoulder the Sceptre.

York cottage, May 11th 1937.

“A few hours ago, I discharged my last duty as  king and Emperor. And now that I have been succeeded by my  brother, the duke of York, my first words must be to    declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart.”

Those words had haunted Elizabeth for months, and she doubted that she would  ever forget what uncle David had said to the  nation, the words that he had spoken about the family that he had decided to leave behind for the love of  someone who had  caused herself and everyone ele she knew no end of trouble. She had listened to the wireless, hearing with confusion every word that was spoken, worried about the effect that those words would have on the nation and the family.  

The effects of uncle David’s words had become all-too apparent in the months that had followed king Edward the eightth’s abdication speech. Her father had said later that he had known what was coming, but Elizabeth had not. She knew now though.  Her father  had struggled much during the past few months as he  prepared to take up the  burden that uncle David had  thrown aside. He had been   increasingly worried of late and though she would not admit it to  either  her parents or Margaret, Elizabeth was now becoming  aware of what her father’s ascention to the throne would mean for her.

Princess Elizabeth had not long since turned ten years of age and already, her life was being decided upon for her. No longer would Elizabeth be able to fulfil her dreams of living a quiet life in the country. That dream had been taken from her on the day that uncle David abdicated.  even now, she was poised on the  threshold of becoming the heir to the throne of   Great Britain and the empire that  her country commanded. That would mean a lot more lessons in  the school rooms in Buckingham palace,  lessons in politics, lessons in etiket and lessons in the  governing and history of the  Empire, added to the  studies she and Margaret had to undertake on a daily basis of course. It would be a long road of difficult study ahead of her and Elizabeth hung her head,  feeling very much as if the weight of the crown was already resting upon her shoulders.

She had practiced the next day’s events with her father only hours ago and she had seen first hand the tole that becoming Great Britain’s most reluctant king had taken on him. His concern and    anxiety had shown clearly upon his features, and yet he was more than ready and willing to take up the task  of being Britain’s king. In that room, practicing the steps of the coronation  ceremony, Elizabeth had looked up at her father and felt  naught but pride. Her dear father was taking a grave and important step, even as  Europe stood on the brink of war, or so it seemed. He was brave. There was no doubt about that. Uncle David had run away  to be with the woman he loved, a plight that Elizabeth could sympathise with.  But yet, she couldn’t help but think that uncle David had somewhat  sherked his  duties, the duties he had to the nation and the duties he  had to his family. Elizabeth didn’t think that there was any getting away from that.

 Young Elizabeth Windsor jumped slightly as she felt a small and gentle hand touching her back. Turning round, Elizabeth saw the deep eyes of Margaret looking back at her, the look in those eyes unusually somber for a girl who had spent much of her  six and a half years on this Earth  making merry in any way she could.

“What are you  doing in the parlour all by yourself?” Margaret asked her, moving swiftly around Elizabeth to take a seat by her  older sister’s side.

Elizabeth turned to smile at Margaret, softening as those innocent eyes locked onto her own. “Oh, one’s just thinking, that’s all.”

Margaret’s soprano voice echoed like a  bell  through the parlour as she asked, “thinking about what? One looks troubled.”

“I’m fine, I think,” Elizabeth said with a gentle smile, glad for the  presence of this empathetic young girl. “I’m just thinking about what tomorrow will bring. That’s all.”

“o you mean our move to Buckingham Palace?”  her little sister asked inquisitively, “because I think it should be fun. So many rooms to play in and so many places to ride.”

Elizabeth nodded. “I know.  I’ll just miss this house, that’s all. We have had some happy times here. I don’t know what’s ahead for us, with me being the heir to the  throne and you being second in line. Can you imagine what life will be like for us. So many duties.”

Margaret could only beam in reply. Elizabeth knew that  her younger sister, at the tender age of six, knew very little of what may happen in the future. She could see ahead of her only  brightness, large expansive rooms and  akers of land on which to ride one’s  horse. She could see only happiness ahead. But then again, why would Margaret see anything different when she examined  a possible future of  her life. Margaret would, with luck, never succeed to the throne as Elizabeth would. As a result, her younger sister would be somewhat free from the burdens of queenship and this was something that Elizabeth was glad about. She didn’t want Margaret growing up with the weight of the crown and  sceptre resting upon her shoulders, a weight that was  already causing the young Elizabeth some  distress.

“Are you looking forward to  tomorrow?” Margaret  asked, jolting Elizabeth out of her reverie.

“Yes,” Elizabeth replied. “Tomorrow, father shall be king and our mother shall be  queen. It’s a  historic occation.”

Margaret smiled in reply. “I know,” she said eagerly, “the whole world will be talking about us tomorrow. Father shall be the king and emperor of India and we will be the most famous princesses in the world. Imagine that. We’ll make good marriages one day, won’t we?”

“I’m sure we will,” Elizabeth agreed. It was true.  On the morro, she and Margaret would become the two most  elligeable princesses in the world. That at  least was an exciting prospect.

The two girls sat in silence for a long moment, neither wanting to interrupt or break the peaceful  quiet that had descended  between them. The sun was setting across the British isles and pools  of golden light were settling upon the parlour, shafts of evening sunlight landing upon  Elizabeth’s dress, illuminating the bright colours. Tomorrow, that same sun would set on  the new king of  Great Britain and his wife, the queen Elizabeth. When she next saw the sunset,  young Elizabeth and Margaret would be  inside the four walls of Buckingham palace as the newly instated royal family. The notion of this soon to be solid reality was both exilerating and concerning.  The number of retainers and  servants she and Margaret would have at their disposal would increase  dramatically and though the elevation of her own status as  heir apparent pleased her in many ways,  Elizabeth could only   dwell upon the  duties she would  soon be asked to perform. Indeed, life was about to  change.

“Lilibet, Margaret. Come here please.  It is time for  supper.”

The voice of Marian Crawford, their beloved   governess echoed through the  coridors of York cottage and at once, the two young girls jumped up. They had been taught to obey Crawfy on the instant  and they ran to the door of the parlour, disappearing into the corridor and making their way into the dining room, each putting  aside  her own thoughts for the  moment.

As Princess Elizabeth walked into the dining room, she smiled up at her parents  who were already seated at the table and composed her face into an expression of calm  collectedness. She would be fine, she was sure. The day upon which she would be expected to take the throne was far away. There would be a long time to come  before she  would  transform from a princess to a queen. Reassured by this notion,  Elizabeth sat down and tucked into her food with the grace that was becoming for  a princess. Her father  would be with her, though he would be unable   to spend as much time with her as he  had done before, and her mother would be with her also. She and Margaret would still have Crawfy to teach them poetry and she would doubtless be able to  take with her the dogs and  horses of which she had become hopelessly fond. The  duties she would have to    perform would be minor at first and this too was  a blessing. For a long time to come, her life would consist only of schooling and lessons in politics, dance  and needlework. That  was not  too bad a fate. She  could put up with that. 

Princess  Elizabeth  contented herself with the idea that she would continue on in much the same way she had for the past ten years of her life. She would sing, dance and play with Margaret  until the day came for her to grow up and become  the queen that Britain both wanted and needed her to be. She would watch her father carefully,  ensuring that she followed as closely  in his footsteps as she could. She would allow her father, the soon to be king to set the example for her  and she would allow him to  guide her. She knew that he would be a great king and that she  would one day be a great queen. It was her duty after all. That was all the country and her family could ask of her, that  she be as good a queen as possible, that she shoulder the  sceptre and rise  to the challenge of one day ruling the empire. As she looked around the dining room, the young princess Elizabeth made a  conscious promise to her family to be as good a  queen as she  could be. She would shoulder that  sceptre as he  her father  had done before her until the day came for her to wear the crown.


End file.
